Short Summary

United States competitors continued their domination of the Pan American Games swimming events on Tuesday (21 October) in Mexico City.

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United States competitors continued their domination of the Pan American Games swimming events on Tuesday (21 October) in Mexico City.

The swimming events have been the American's strongest suit in the first 10 days of the 13-day continental games.

So far their swimmers, mostly improving youngsters with their sights set firmly on next year's Montreal Olympics, have run away with 14 of the 16 gold medals.

Team officials also expect them to win most of the 13 outstanding events as well.

On Tuesday they won all six events contested, breaking Games records in every victory.

The star of the night was Doug Northway who cut eight seconds of the Games record for the men's 400 metres freestyle on his way to an effortless win.

U.S. swimmers were also successful in the men's 200 metres back stroke, won by Steve Harrigan; the men's 200 metres breast stroke won by Ron Colella; the women's 100 metres butterfly won by Camille Wright; the men's 200 metres butterfly won by Greg Jagenburg and the women's 400 metres medley won by Kathy Heddy.

SYNOPSIS: Mexico City's Olympic swimming pool was the site of triumphs by U.S. swimmers in the Pan American Games on Tuesday. Their first victory of the day... the men's four-hundred metres freestyle.

Doug Northway shaved eight seconds off the previous Games record on his way to an effortless win.

Northway's run-away win was just one of many for the Americans. To Tuesday, U.S. competitors had won thirteen of the sixteen swimming events contested so far at the Games.

American team officials are also confident that their swimmers will take most of the other thirteen gold medals yet to be decided in the pool.

Most of the U.S. swimmers are improving youngsters with their sights set firmly on next year's Montreal Olympics.

Steve Harrigan is one of those promising youngsters. He had his moment of glory in the men's two-hundred metres backstroke.

Harrigan's victory gave the United States five wins out of the five events contested so far that day. Naturally, they went on to complete a clean sweep in the only other event.

Six out of six came in the men's two-hundred metres breaststroke. This time the victor was Ron Colella in lane six.

Apart from the Northway, Harrigan, Colella wins the Americans were also successful in the men's two hundred metres butterfly; the women's one-hundred metres butterfly; and the women's four-hundred metres medley.

The United States now have a commanding lead in the Games medal table.

Their performances in trace and field events have equalled those in the pool.

They have seventy-two gold medals so far .. thirty five clear of Cuba.